Will Winter’s big accounting firm experience helped him hone his skills, but he realized that it was leading him away from the reason why he got into accounting to begin with. He grew up with a self-employed father whose lack of financial acumen prevented him from starting his own business. Will decided that he wanted to make a difference for people just like his dad, and his acquisition of a small accounting practice put him into position to do just that. Since 2017, Winter Accounting and Advising has been supporting entrepreneurs on their path to successful business ownership.

Small-town living and the DIY movement inspired Jeff Lovett and his wife to try soapmaking. Upon seeing the positive reaction they were getting from their homemade goods, they realized that people were yearning for no-nonsense products with clean ingredients that actually got the job done. Today, Lovett Sundries’ approach is a fresh break away from industry norms with nostalgic branding that evokes a feeling of simpler times, straightforward product names, sustainable packaging, and a simple list of ingredients prominently displayed on the front of every package.

Jessie Tait decided to use her downtime during the pandemic to give back to the community. When she began cleaning police vehicles on a voluntary basis, the last thing she thought about was starting a new company. Unsatisfied with the durability of her traditional sanitizing approach, she started to search for longer lasting solutions. After conducting a significant amount of research, she finally found a product that could last up to 90 days. This was a game-changer, and it inspired Jessie to launch Enspra in order to help local small businesses reopen faster and safer during this challenging time.

Flexable was born from Priya Amin’s need to solve her own problem. As a working parent, she experienced obstacles to obtaining flexible and reliable childcare. Since launching her company, Priya has become an advocate for childcare as an inclusion strategy. Removing this barrier is especially important for women who are disproportionately affected by child-rearing obligations. In this episode, Priya talks about the many pivots that Flexable has had to make and why childcare availability and affordability are critical to keeping productive women in the workforce.

As a “move-up” homebuyer, Wendy Gilch became frustrated with the entire process. Trying to time the simultaneous sale and purchase of two homes seemed like an exercise in futility. Her experience prompted her to take a deeper look into the real estate industry, and what she found surprised her. At every turn, industry players seemed to be profiting from the lack of knowledge and sophistication of average consumers. Wendy decided that she wanted to offer an alternative service. Without traditional industry experience to bog her down, she took a fresh approach to the problem and launched SellingLater.com, a consumer-centric platform and resource for homebuyers and sellers.

Mark Mammone’s love for slow cooking methods inspired him to learn more about the art and science of fermentation. Early into his work at Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville, he approached his coworker and new friend, Joe Bardakos, with an idea to create a pickle company. Joe quickly agreed to help, and Bridge City Brinery was born. In this episode, Mark and Joe talk about what makes their pickles different, the challenges of starting a side business, and how they might be able to leverage their brand into a restaurant concept at some point in the future.

When you listen to John Tarallo tell the story of his childhood, it seems inevitable that he would end up in the food industry. Influenced at a young age by his two Italian grandfathers, he learned how food could bring people together and that salt was indeed the flavor of life. In 2014, John and his wife started the Steel City Salt Company by selling their products from an outdoor tabletop in the Strip District. Today, they operate a retail storefront and production facility in Millvale in addition to seasonal appearances throughout the year in the Strip District.

George Cook and Ken Martin realized that the type of community and relationship banking that built the main streets all across this country has been disappearing at an alarming rate. George, a sixth-generation community banker, and Ken, an investment banker with main street business experience, decided they wanted to do something about it. In 2017, they launched Honeycomb Credit, a locally-focused crowdfunding platform that helps business owners tap into their local communities to raise capital. Today, the Pittsburgh-based Honeycomb Credit has helped small businesses here and across the country to access the loan proceeds they need to grow their companies.

After a volunteer trip to Haiti in the wake of the 2010 earthquake disaster, Ian Rosenberger decided that he wanted to make a lasting difference in the world. He formed a team and spent the next five years learning how to turn recycled plastic into fabric that could be used in apparel and consumer goods by some of the world’s largest companies. Today, Thread International and its subsidiary brands, First Mile and Day Owl, are leading the way by developing responsible and sustainable supply chains in some of the most challenging places on Earth.

Fiore Moletz, founder of one of the Pittsburgh region’s first gourmet burger establishments, Burgh’ers Brewing, set out to create a high-quality smash burger joint focused on fresh, approachable, and sustainable ingredients. In 2017, he partnered with Neil Glausier to develop a craft brewery addition to the business. In this episode, Fiore talks about learning to cook under the tutelage of great mentors, the humble beginnings of his first location, and why entrepreneurs need to surround themselves with excellent people.